My name is Karla Ritualo and I attend UNCG.  During the fall semester I completed 300 hours for my internship at the Women's Resource Center.  This experience has been delightful and invaluable.  My communication skills have greatly improved by assisting clients.

Acting as the WRC representative at community events such as the Domestic Violence Awareness Fair and the Parent Information Fair allowed me to directly communicate with other agencies and a diverse group of people about the services the the WRC provides to community women.  Through my work assisting the Volunteer Director at the Front Desk, my knowledge of what different agencies offer increased because the WRC keeps up-to-date information in both the Community Resource Counseling Guide and the Community Information kiosk at the Center.  I will be able to use this information to help others in the future.

I am very thankful to the WRC for affording me this opportunity.  It has been a fun journey and I will miss everyone.

For more informationa bout internship opportunities at the WRC, contact Katie Wangelin at
275-6090 or Katie@womenscentergso.org

The Women's Resource Center stands for Greensboro women's empowerment, education, and equality, and the Center strives daily to comfort each woman in an individual way and prepare her with a plan of action.  Open the door to the Center and you are gretted with the smell of coffee and a smile from a compassionate volunteer.  It's common to see a woman come in and breathe a sigh of relief, immediately feeling connected to women who understand the struggles of day-to-day life.  The Center's calming atmosphere, wealth of information, and helpful volunteers make women feel comfortable here.  These tools are available to every woman in our community, and they help thousands recognize their great potential each year.  Clients turn into volunteers, and volunteers rarely leave, simply wanting to stay connected to the warmth of the Center.  Della Brown, a volunteer of 5 years, calls it 'the Center's good vibe,' and others say the Center exudes good energy.  Whatever the name, women feel it.

For more information about volunteer opportunities at the WRC, contact Karen Jackson at
275-6090 or Karen@womenscentergso.org

As the New Choices Program Director I am privileged to see first-hand the effect which our pre-employment program can have on a woman's life.   The clients I work with often arrive at the Center with no hope of ever getting back on their feet, yet in a few short weeks their outlook on life and the belief in their own abilities can be turned around.

Miss W. came to our program as a 29 year old, single parent of 4 children.  Her only income being food stamps, living in public housing in an area she feels is dangerous and depressing.  She had never met any neighbors, as she felt intimidated by her surroundings.  The first few classes were difficult for Miss W.  She had low self-esteem, and was unsure whether she would be able to get through the sessions, mainly because of finance and childcare constraints.  A childcare stipend was awarded to off-set childcare costs and she received a bus pass to attend classes.  In class Miss W. met two other women who lived in her neighborhood, and shared many of the same issues.  They quickly formed a bond, and organized child care support, shared shopping trips etc.  Her participation in class grew dramatically!

By the end of the sessions Miss W. had recognized her desire to enter the nursing profession.  As a first step, she is now enrolled in a Certified Nursing Assistant class which has been funded by an education stipend provided by the WRC.  Miss W.'s pre- and post- class evaluations show a marked increase in her interview skills, her networking skills and awareness of employment and educational options.

On  graduation this program Miss W. was no longer crying, but had a smile on her face.  She wrote to the Center thanking us for 'helping me come out, and helping me realize I can make it.'

This is just one story which illustrates why I love the work we do at the WRC!

For more information about the New Choices Program, contact Susan Ball at 275-6090 or Susan@womenscentergso.org

'A voice in my head was telling me to be involved,' self-esteem facilitator Sheryl Bryan says, 'And once I co-facilitated a (self-esteem) class with Tammi Reitzel, I was pretty much hooked.'  WRC's volunteer-facilitated self-esteem series consists of 4 two-hour sessions aimed at helping women to develop inner resources and tools to build and maintain a positive self-esteem level.  As a volunteer self-esteem facilitator for over two years now, Sheryl feels that her work with WRC has allowed her the personal opportunity to return to her professional roots in social and group work from an earlier phase in her career.

As many other series facilitators have observed, Sheryl notes that women come in to the series as individuals and so often leave as a group, often still talking, staying connected even after a session or the series has been completed.  To other women who are interested in volunteering as a facilitator, she recommends these qualities:  a willingness to share, to learn, to laugh and an openness to group interaction.  For Sheryl the rewards of her experiences as a facilitator have been great.  She says of a recent experience, 'It's that one spark...one woman who can't make eye contact who sits at the end of the session and looks everyone in the eye and begins telling everyone her strengths openly.  It gave me chills...and it is worth everything.'

For more information about becoming a self-esteem facilitator contact Katie Wangelin at
275-6090 or katie@womenscentergso.org

Everyday at the WRC women take advantage of the services provided through the Community Resource Counseling Program.

Women come to this program with every conceivable issue a woman could have in her adult life:  issues related to marriage, separation/divorce, children, aging parents; issues related to jobs and starting small business; issues related to health, mental health, and substance addictions; issues related to education and job training.

But by far the majority of women seeking assistance through the Resource Counseling Program are women in crisis.  Over 50% are single mothers, African American, unemployed, living and supporting families on incomes of less than $20,000--most on less than $10,000/year.  Their needs are basic:  jobs, affordable housing, assistance with rent/utility bills, child care, food, clothing, transportation.  Many are in crisis--overwhelmed by events or situations which have thrown their lives into turmoil. 

Having the opportunity to sit down for an hour with a resource counselor gives women going through transition in their lives the chance to plan next steps and take action.  If she's in crisis and faced with a multitude of issues at the same time, she doesn't know where to start to get back on her feet.  She may have just been in an accident and accumulated high medical bills, lost her job because she had to be out so long, and now is faced with eviction because she can't pay her rent.  She may also have run out of money to feed and clothe her children.  Our counselors help her to prioritize her needs and develop an action plan that can help her to move through her crisis.  While we can't solve all her problems for her, we can help her to identify that all-important place to start, that first step she can take.  That, along with the resources we can give her to get the help she needs, will empower her to get through her crisis and move on successfully with her life.

For more information about the Community Resource Counseling Program at the WRC, contact Barbara Grills at 275-6090 or Barbara@womenscentergso.org